Commercial Activities of Vietnamese Envoys to China during the Nguyen reign (1802-1885)

Abstract

This article examines the commercial activities of Vietnamese envoys to China during the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1885), within the framework of the traditional diplomatic relations between the two countries. Based on an analysis of official sources such as Đại Nam thực lục, Châu bản triều Nguyễn, Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ, Thanh thực lục, in comparison with modern domestic and international scholarship, the study demonstrates that envoy-led trade was vibrant, systematic, and contributed significantly to the flow of official commerce, despite the inherent inequality of the tributary system. This article concludes that commercial activities undertaken by Nguyen envoys were closely tied to political objectives while also playing an essential role in sustaining economic exchange and ensuring diplomatic stability for the Vietnamese court amid a period of significant upheaval.